tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:28:03 +0000cupcakesfrostingbakewarecupcake recipesfrosting recipesholiday cupcakesspecial event cupcakeschocolateholiday decorating ideasfestive cupcakesflavored cupcakesseasonal cupcakesCupcakesCupcake Recipes|Cupcake Ingredients|Cupcake Frosting|Cupcake Trays|Cupcake Decoratinghttp://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)Blogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-8586216477746234671Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:16:00 +00002011-08-08T20:16:35.961-07:00Lemon Cupcakes Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4772857237_3ed3d349c9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4772857237_3ed3d349c9.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamieanne/" style="color: black;">jamieanne </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I hope everyone is enjoying their summers and finding these cupcake recipes useful and delicious!<br />One of my favorite kinds of cupcakes is <b>lemon cupcakes</b>. I've always been a fan of anything with lemon, and when it comes to cupcakes there's no exception.<br />The great thing about lemon cupcakes is that they are a good substitute for regular vanilla cupcakes. Sometimes you just get bored of using the traditional cupcake base, and this recipe should offer you a nice alternative. If you scale back on the lemon a bit, it'll give the cupcakes a nice subtle zing. But the recipe I'm providing is for the lemon lovers!<br /><br />Lemon Cupcakes - The Real Deal<br /><br />2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature<br />2 cups sugar<br />4 eggs<br />3 cups all purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />1 cup milk<br />splash of vanilla extract <br />2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />2 Tbsp lemon zest<br /><br /><br />-Preheat oven to 325º and line the cupcake pan<br />-In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until creamy. Add the milk and lemon juice and lemon zest.<br />-In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. You can either use your hands or a whisk to do this. <br />-Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Careful not to over-mix!<br />-Divide the batter up into prepared cupcake baking sheet.<br />-Bake for between 17 and 21 minutes.<br />-Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.<br />-Enjoy!<br /><br />Let's talk about frosting now. Lemon cupcakes can be paired with many different frosting. The most popular is <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.html">buttercream frosting</a> of course! This balances out the tanginess of the cupcakes with a softer, sweeter frosting. You can also use <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-cheese-frosting.html">cream cheese frosting</a> for a nice and tangy finish. A favorite of mine (not everyone may enjoy this) is <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/homemade-chocolate-frosting.html">chocolate frosting</a>. This is a great way to finish off your lemon cupcakes!<br /><br />If you like the idea of having a subtler lemon zing, you can halve the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest in the cupcakes. Then these cupcakes will be a great alternative to vanilla cupcakes and they will go with virtually any frosting. Lemon cupcakes are my favorite thing to eat in the winter, as they remind me of warmth and spring. They go great with any type of fruit, and you can add poppy seeds if you'd like. Raspberries are especially compatible with these cupcakes, and taste great sprinkled on top of buttercream frosting. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous why don't you try to add some raspberries to the batter and bake them in there! I promise you won't be disappointed.<br /><br />Well folks, that's all for now! I hope you enjoy this. I'll post a recipe for lemon frosting soon to go with these and come back for more of the <b>best cupcake recipes</b>!!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/lemon-cupcakes-recipe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-3974715734592836167Thu, 07 Jul 2011 04:32:00 +00002011-07-06T21:32:22.928-07:00Cupcake Recipe Ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/207263289_c3445d5239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/207263289_c3445d5239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Hello fellow cupcake lovers,<br /><br />I am pleased to say I received an overwhelming amount of emails following my posting of the strawberry cupcakes recipe last month. It's really nice to know these cupcake recipes are falling into the right hands, and I was very touched by how many of you welcomed me back to my blog, after a long hiatus in which I was focusing on other things (non cupcake-related things).<br /><br />I'll be posting more regularly from now on, and have a lot of recipes and ideas to share with all of you. Cupcakes are my passion and I'm excited to share that with all of you. In the past I've gotten some great ideas from emails and comments left by my readers, and I encourage you to keep on sending those ideas over. I have so many cupcake recipes that it's hard to pick out what you all would want to read about most!<br /><br />A few cupcake posts that will be coming your way soon (and these are all in response to requests I've gotten by cupcake fans) are:<br /><br />Vegan Cupcakes<br />Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (these are some of my <b>best cupcakes</b>, vegan and non-vegan alike)<br />Gluten Free Cupcakes<br />Fondant Recipe and How to Use Fondant <br />Marshmallow Fondant<br />Lemon Cupcakes<br />Peanut Butter Frosting<br /><br />If you are interested in seeing any other cupcake recipes, frosting recipes, baking techniques, decorating ideas, or anything else related to cupcakes, please leave a comment on this post and I'll be sure to add it to the list! I'm excited to start posting again and have been getting back into baking cupcakes and I'm coming up with new recipes all of the time. I've been more and more creative with my recipes, and I'm trying to think up ways to make cupcakes a little healthier. While I realize that butter and sugar are the main ingredients in most of my cupcakes, I've been experimenting with substitutes and will let you know as soon as I find something delicious!<br /><br />Thanks again for reading my <b>cupcake recipes</b> and <b>frosting recipes</b>. Come back soon!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/207263289_c3445d5239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>--The Cupcake Galhttp://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2011/07/cupcake-recipe-ideas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-4194799149415973605Thu, 23 Jun 2011 05:03:00 +00002011-06-22T22:03:37.647-07:00Strawberry Cupcake Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9xvXHHclyM/TgLHxkaoLZI/AAAAAAAAAW8/K3moIkdkR1I/s1600/5613709631_ce0eea8c1f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9xvXHHclyM/TgLHxkaoLZI/AAAAAAAAAW8/K3moIkdkR1I/s320/5613709631_ce0eea8c1f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/5613709631/"> elana's pantry</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>It's been a while, but I'm back! I appreciate all the lovely comments and I'm glad you're all enjoying my <b>cupcake recipes</b>!<br /><br />I get a lot of requests for a <b>strawberry cupcake recipe</b>. I've never been a big fan of strawberry, but I set out to make a great cupcake, and I did! I wanted to share it with you. Strawberry cupcakes are great for any occasion. The 4th of July is just around the corner and these will make great <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/4th-of-july-cupcakes.html">4th of July cupcakes</a>. You can also use them for Valentines day, Christmas, or any other time you're in the mood for a tasty treat.<br /><br />This recipe makes 2 dozen <br /><br />1 1/3 cup fresh strawberries (not frozen)<br />3&nbsp; cups flour<br />2.5 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp coarse salt<br />1/2 cup strawberry milk (regular milk is fine, too)<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 cup (2 sticks) butter<br />2 cups sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />4 large egg whites<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350<br /><br />-Place strawberries in a food processor and puree them. You should have 2/3 cup puree. If you're a little short go ahead and add a few more strawberries!<br />-In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.<br />-In a separate bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree.<br />-In another bowl cream butter with an electric mixer on high speed until the butter becomes fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue mixing. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs and the egg whites.<br />-Now reduce the mixer speed to low and add about half of the flour mixture. Mix until combined, and be careful not to over mix or your cupcakes won't rise. Then slowly add the milk mixture, and mix just enough until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture.<br />-Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins and place in the preheated oven.<br />-Cooking times may vary, but it should take somewhere between 20-25 minutes.<br /><br />Oh, and the most important step is to enjoy your cupcakes!<br />These taste great with virtually any frosting you can imagine.<a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.html"> Buttercream frosting</a> is great for a basic cupcake, and if you want to have more fun you can use<a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/homemade-chocolate-frosting.html"> chocolate frosting</a>, coconut frosting, <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/boiled-frosting.html">boiled frosting</a>, <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/pink-frosting.html">pink frosting</a>, or strawberry frosting! I like to thinly slice a few strawberries and decorate the tops of the cupcakes with them.<br /><br />As we approach summer, it is the perfect time to use fresh fruit in our cupcakes. For a tasty idea, try replacing the strawberries with your favorite fruit. Peaches work great, as does a mix of summer berries. If you're really up for an experiment, try strawberry banana cupcakes, try adding some chocolate chips or coconut flakes. This recipe is so easy to alter to use other fruit and you should take advantage of that.<br /><br />Well, folks, that's all I have for you today. I'll be back soon with some more delicious <b>cupcake recipes</b>. Right now I'm working an a new take on <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-cupcakes.html">chocolate cupcakes</a>, so check back soon and you'll be in for a real treat!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-cupcake-recipe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-4766652299964727905Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:55:00 +00002010-09-11T18:55:57.864-07:00Cupcake Boxes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sugarcraftbyrosie.com.au/i//heart_cupcake_boxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.sugarcraftbyrosie.com.au/i//heart_cupcake_boxes.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.sugarcraftbyrosie.com.au/i//heart_cupcake_boxes.jpg">sugar craft by rosie</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />I've always loved baking for other people's special occasions. I like to know that my baked goods can bring a smile to someone's face and make their day a little brighter. Since I was young I was the resident baker for birthdays, holidays, and anything else. Pretty soon I began baking for extended family, and then family friends, and after that it just took off! Cupcakes were always a big hit and most requested. The problem I was constantly running into was how to get the cupcakes from my kitchen to the location without making a huge mess! For a while I insisted on frosting my cupcakes when they were already at location but this wasn't a great solution. Luckily, there are other ways to solve the problem.<br /><b>Cupcake boxes!</b><br />These are boxes that are specifically designed for transporting cupcakes. They make cupcake boxes for individual cupcakes, and cupcake boxes for up to a dozen. These generally are two leveled boxes. The top level will have a hole cut out to fit a standard sized cupcake perfectly.<br />There are also many companies that make cupcake boxes and sell the cupcake holders separately. It's important to buy both from the same company so they fit right. Cupcake boxes that are all wobbly won't be very good at transporting your cupcakes.<br />Cupcake boxes with holders protect cupcakes from moving in the box and therefore prevent a mess. These are also sometimes called cupcake carriers. The best way to figure out which cupcake box is right for you is to just do a little bit of research. Amazon.com is the perfect place to do that, as you will find many different manufacturers and customer ratings. I personally like BRP box shop cupcake boxes. They're very attractive which I always think is important. Especially when making cupcake for a living, you want to present your client with the best looking cupcake box which should reflect what's inside - your cupcakes!<br />If you're up for a project it's not difficult to make your own cupcake boxes from scratch. All you need is some good quality card stock, scissors, and some glue. After you construct your own boxes, it's simply to make cupcake holders that are customized to fit directly into your cupcake boxes. This is a great project for kids, especially when they've made cupcakes for a grandparent or other family member. They can decorate the cupcake boxes with magic markers, glitter, crayons, stickers, or anything else!<br />I've had a lot of inquiries as to how to transport cupcakes, so to anyone who was wondering I hope this helps. Who would have thought that there would be boxes made specifically for cupcakes!?<br />I hope you enjoyed reading about <b>cupcake boxes</b> and come back soon for more recipes, decorating tips, and everything else <b>cupcakes</b>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/09/cupcake-boxes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-147001345360890489Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:54:00 +00002010-08-26T21:54:23.521-07:00cupcake recipescupcakesfestive cupcakesseasonal cupcakesCoconut Cupcakes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3293422690_d484a83d91_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3395/3293422690_d484a83d91_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shimelle/3293422690/">shimelle</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />One of my favorite desserts is coconut <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/">cupcakes</a>! I've always found coconut cupcakes a little tricky. They either turn out too dense or too flavorless. Sometimes it tastes like a sponge with a big scoop of shredded coconut on top!<br />That's why I made it my business to bring you a great coconut cupcake recipe that actually tastes as good as it sounds. The secret ingredient is....coconut! I use coconut milk and shredded coconut where other recipes use regular milk and coconut extract.<br />Coconut cupcakes are a great treat for many reasons. It looks like a basic vanilla cupcake and therefore can be used and decorated for all sorts of occasions. This includes holidays such as Halloween, the Fourth of July, and Christmas. They can make for very festive winter cupcakes since shredded coconut resembles snow.&nbsp; They make great birthday cupcakes, excellent wedding cupcakes, and perfect any-time-you-have-a-craving-for-coconut cupcakes!<br /><br />Coconut Cupcakes Ingredients:<br /><br />3 cups cake flour (not self rising)<br />2 heaping tsp Baking Powder<br />3 sticks (1.5 cups) salted butter<br />2 1/4 cups sugar<br />.5 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />1 cup coconut milk<br />8 large egg whites<br />1 1/3 cups shredded sweetened coconut<br />frosting of your choice (I'll cover this later)<br />toasted coconut for garnishing (optional)<br />Makes 2 dozen<br /><ul><li>Preheat over to 350. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.</li><li>In a bowl mix together flour and baking powder.</li><li>In another bowl beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With an electric mixer this should be about 3 or 4 minutes.</li><li>Add vanilla. Carefully add one third of the flour mixture while still beating. Then add half of the coconut milk. Then add the second third of the flour mixture, and then add the rest of the coconut milk. Finish by adding the rest of the flour mixture. When it is combined (careful not to overmix!) set aside.</li><li>In a clean bowl, whisk together egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. You can do this manually or with an electric mixer. Beat until stiff and glossy peaks begin to form.&nbsp;</li><li>Gently fold the egg mixture into the butter and flour mixture. Until combined. You might want to do this in 2 parts. Then carefully stir in the shredded coconut. Don't over mix!</li><li>Divide batter in cupcake pans, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each cupcake.</li><li>Bake for 20-25 minute. Rotate pans half way through. The cupcakes are down when they turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.&nbsp;</li><li>Allow to cool.</li><li>For toasted coconut: I use fresh coconut. It has amazing flavor and really adds a nice touch. This will go on top of the frosting. You can buy coconut meat, raw, or buy the whole coconut and go from there. Use 2 coconuts. Grate the coconut meat. Spread out on baking sheet and place in over preheated to 350. Allow to cook keeping an eye on it! If it's cooking unevenly, rotate the pan. It's done when it's just starting to turn golden brown</li></ul>As far as frosting goes, this is really a personal choice. Using <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.html">buttercream frosting</a> is fine! It tastes great with these coconut cupcakes. I, personally, love chocolate and coconut together, so I use chocolate frosting. Some people pair lemon frosting with these cupcakes, and some like boiled frosting with them. You can also pair them with cream cheese frosting. Coconut cupcakes, as I said before, go with nearly everything. So these are the perfect cupcakes for all you coconut lovers!<br /><br />Enjoy and come back soon for more <b>cupcakes recipes</b>.http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/coconut-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-5272468181307624955Mon, 19 Jul 2010 06:36:00 +00002010-07-18T23:59:34.429-07:00Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7j5vjo4Md0s/SPlKQkZnKPI/AAAAAAAAAEg/za0s6D6xZhI/s400/Pumpkin+Cupcake+bite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 218px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7j5vjo4Md0s/SPlKQkZnKPI/AAAAAAAAAEg/za0s6D6xZhI/s400/Pumpkin+Cupcake+bite.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Photo courtesy of <a href="http://mise-n-place.blogspot.com/">mise-n-place</a></span><br /><br />Well, I've taken quite a long hiatus and pursued other interests for a while, but alas, I keep coming back to cupcakes! I just can't seem to get enough and in my time away I've picked up a great pumpkin cupcakes recipe. I've also picked up a good deal more of cupcake recipes which I'll be sure to post a few times a month (I'm aiming for once a week but I can't make any promises). As usual, if you would like a specific recipe, have any questions or comments feel free to shoot me an email and I'll get back to you as soon as I take my cupcakes out of the oven!<br /><br />Probably the most requested of cupcake recipes I'm asked for are pumpkin. Whether it's the season for <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/09/halloween-cupcakes.html">Halloween cupcakes</a> or something else, I don't know, but either way they're quite a delicious treat!<br /><br />This is a sweet snack that can be enjoyed all year round. Pair it with your favorite icing (I prefer cream cheese frosting but use whatever you'd like!)<br /><br />Makes about 18 cupcakes<br />Preheat over to 350 F and line cupcake pans with liners<br /><br />2 C all purpose flour<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 heaping tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp ground ginger<br />1.5 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg<br />1/4 tsp ground all spice<br />1 C packed light brown sugar<br />3/4 C granulated sugar<br />1 C salted butter<br />4 large eggs<br />15 oz pumpkin puree<br /><br />In a bowl whisk flour, baking soda and powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice. In another bowl whisk brown and granulated sugar with butter and eggs. Whisk in dry ingredients (be careful not to over mix!) and then add pumkin puree.<br />Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans and put it in the over for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway.<br /><br />When they're done take them out and let the pumpkin cupcakes cool. Now they're ready to be frosted! I prefer mine with <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-cheese-frosting.html">cream cheese frosting</a>, but I've had friends who prefer theirs with chocolate frosting or vanilla. You can choose whatever you'd like to top your pumpkin cupcakes!<br /><br />Pumpkin cupcakes can be used on many occasions. Halloween is the first that comes to mind, but they can be very festive during Autumn in general. Try them out as Thanksgiving cupcakes and decorate with cranberries! As a fun activity with your children you can have pumpkin cupcake decorating parties before holidays. People tend to love pumpkin which makes these an excellent choice for parties or other social events such as dinners and potlucks.<br /><br />These cupcakes taste best when fresh so I would not recommend freezing them, though they'll still be yummy if you do. I've eaten these topped with so many different things and they're always so delicious. For something different try a cranberry and chocolate frosting. Or use vanilla frosting and sprinkle crushed up oreos on top. You could use any color sprinkles, honey or maple icing, the possibilities truly are infinite.<br /><br />Well, I promise to be more up to date posting <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/">cupcake recipes</a> to fill your hearts and tummies.<br />Enjoy these<span style="font-weight: bold;"> pumpkin cupcakes</span>! I know I will!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/pumpkin-cupcakes-recipe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-6343075118758172794Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:44:00 +00002010-02-03T00:27:08.191-08:00festive cupcakesholiday cupcakesholiday decorating ideasValentines Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3285194066_df69ba5ec6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 285px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3285194066_df69ba5ec6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hlkljgk/3285194066/">hlkljgk</a></span><br /><br />Valentines cupcakes are the perfect way to let your loved one's know you care! Everyone loves a sweet and tasty treat! February 14th is one of my favorite days of the year for this reason. Decorating cupcakes is one of my top five things I love to do, and Valentines cupcakes allow me to go crazy. The possibilities are endless, if you keep just three things in mind: chocolate, love, and the color red.<br />For Valentines cupcakes, I almost always use <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-velvet-cupcake-recipe.html">red velvet cupcakes</a> as a base or <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-cupcakes.html">chocolate cupcakes</a>. I like to use a white frosting, like buttercream, cream cheese, or boiled (all of which you can find recipes for right here, on my site). If you really don't like chocolate, though, vanilla cupcakes with just a hint of red food dye make for a perfect base, as well.<br />White frostings also allow you to add a hint of red food dye for a festive and<a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/pink-frosting.html"> pink frosting</a>.<br /><br />Here are some tips for decorating your Valentine's Day cupcakes:<br />1. Candy/sugar hearts - everyone loves hearts on valentines day. Pink, red and white hearts are a perfect way to top off your cupcakes.<br />2. Think Pink - pink, white, and red sprinkles, pink frosting, pink, pink, pink!<br />3. Fruit - I know, I know. I always talk about food dyes. But I try to remind you all that food dye can be very hazardous to your health. Once in a while won't kill you, but if you can avoid it then why not? So what are other ways to make pink frosting? Crushed raspberries will add a nice touch. Cherries also work. Or you could always use white frosting and use fruit as a garnish.<br /><br />So without further adieu, I'm going to give you some excellent Valentine's Day cupcakes decorating ideas that do not involve food dye or food coloring.<br /><br />Black forest cupcakes - Chocolate cupcakes with boiled frosting and chocolate dipped cherries. These are simple to make, elegant, and delicious. Take dark red cherries and in a double boiler melt some dark chocolate (or milk if you prefer). Dip your cherries in the melted chocolate halfway, and when they cool and dry place them a top your cupcake. For a little extra garnish, sprinkle some cocoa powder. You could also put cherries in the chocolate batter (no pits!!!!) if you want to bake them into your cupcakes. It will be delicious. If you don't like cherries, you could use strawberries instead to top off your Valentine's Day cupcakes. I like to leave the stem on. Cut the strawberries long ways in half. Dip one half in melted chocolate and place them on the cupcakes flat side down.<br /><br />Jelly cupcakes - Valentine's Day cupcakes are all about reds and pinks. Any preservative in that color will work. Strawberry, raspberry, or whatever else you've got is fine! These can be made in a number of ways depending on what you're looking for.<br />Method 1 - Use a chocolate or vanilla base. Bake your cupcakes and let them cool completely. Before you frost them, take a small paring knife or a melon baller. Scoop out from the top center of the cupcake about an inche in diameter and length. If you are using a paring knife, make sure your cuts are clean and round. Fill the whole with whichever jelly you choose. For a stuffed cupcake (paring knife) replace the piece of cupcake you had removed and then frost. For the melon baller, Fill the round whole entireley with jelly. Then, instead of frosting just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.<br />Method 2 - Bake your cupcakes and let them cool. Frost as normal using any white frosting. Be generous with the frosting! From the center of the frosting with the back of a spoon create a wide and shallow well. Fill the well with jelly and there you have cute and food dye-free Valentines cupcakes.<br /><br />I hope you have a great day, filled with love and romance, and enjoy your <span style="font-weight: bold;">Valentines cupcakes</span>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/01/valentines-day-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-150487794045018352Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:12:00 +00002009-12-17T18:36:36.562-08:00Christmas Cupcakes 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/3083003280_01a3c03699.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 286px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/3083003280_01a3c03699.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">photo courtesy of Cherrapeno.blogspot.com</span><br /><br /><br />As promised, I am going to let you in on a few more of my Christmas cupcake ideas! It's just a week or so before the big day and cupcakes are so easy to make and so much fun to decorate! So if you still need to think up a dessert look no further, these treats are sure to please.<br /><br />1. Melted Snowman Cupcakes<br />These are probably my favorites because they're just so adorable and silly. You can use whatever base you want, vanilla, chocolate, red velvet...you name it! You could also be more festive and make gingerbread cupcakes, roasted chestnut cupcakes, or you could keep it simple. Here's what you'll need:<br /><br />Ready to roll fondant<br />Orange food coloring<br />A Tube of black icing<br />A red M&amp;M for the hat<br />2 cups of powdered sugar<br /><br />Roll some fondant into a ball for the head of the snowman, and a smaller ball to top off the hat. Color some fondant orange and shape it into a small carrot which will be used for the nose. Now mix the powdered sugar with some cold water. There's no exact amount, but add it slowly. You will want this icing mixture to be slightly runny, but don't overdo it or you'll have messy snowman cupcakes instead of melted snowman cupcakes!<br />Now spoon some of the icing over the cupcakes. Place the snowman head on the cupcake, and place the carrot on the snowman's head for his nose. Use the black icing to dot on buttons and eyes. Using some icing as adhesive, place the M&amp;M on top of the head for the hat, and place the small ball of fondant on top of that. Viola! Melted snowman cupcakes.<br /><br />2. Christmas Wreath Cupcakes<br />If you're going for ease, this is the one you want. These cupcakes are so easy to decorate, yet so festive. All you will need is:<br /><br />Any cupcake base<br />white frosting (vanilla, cream cheese, boiled, etc)<br />Red and green M&amp;Ms or other round and small candies<br /><br />Take your cupcake and frost it. Make sure the frosting is flat, no fancy swirls needed for these cupcakes. Take your green M&amp;Ms and place them flat in a circle (you choose the size) on your frosting. Leave one M&amp;M out, so it's an almost circle. Now take two red M&amp;Ms. You are going to place them on the cupcakes so that they are on there sides. Have them both angled inwards, like a triangle. And....that's it! These are the easiest Christmas cupcakes to make and you could really get creative with the red and green candies, making all sorts of designs. If you get white candies you could make snow flakes, Christmas lights, or whatever you want.<br /><br />That's all for now. Soon I'll post some new <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake recipes</span></a> and don't forget about Valentines Day! It's right around the corner and I'll have loads of cupcake decorating ideas prepared.<br /><br />Happy Holidays and enjoy your cupcakes.http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-cupcakes-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-3041852230419008190Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:54:00 +00002010-02-03T00:31:21.108-08:00cupcakesholiday cupcakesholiday decorating ideasseasonal cupcakesspecial event cupcakesChristmas CupcakesChristmas is one of my favorite times of the year, and none is complete without a batch of homemade <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-cupcakes-2.html">Christmas cupcakes</a>. Decorating cupcakes for Christmas is one of my favorite things to do. I love the Christmas colors and there are so many wonderful themes to choose from for you Christmas cupcakes! Just thinking about it, I don't know how I would cover all of my ideas in just one post, so this might be a 2 part post.<br />First let's cover what we all know and love - Christmas colors. If you're unsure how to decorate and frost cupcakes for Xmas, you can't go wring with red, white, and green. My favorite Christmas cupcakes, and the ones that always get the biggest smile, are my winter themed ones. Let's get started.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Winter Christmas Cupcakes</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Easy Snowman Cupcakes</span><br />For this you will need: cupcakes, white icing, sugar or coconut flakes, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate covered peanut cups, chocolate sprinkles, fruit roll up for the scarf, and orange or red gummy fish.<br />These Christmas Cupcakes are so simple to make, I've been doing it since I was a child! First you must choose your cupcake base. <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-velvet-cupcake-recipe.html">Red velvet cupcakes</a> are always a great option for Christmas, seeing as they're red, but any cupcake base can work and you should be able to find a great deal of recipes on my site! After you bake your Christmas cupcakes base, you should wait for them to cool. For these cupcakes, I use any white frosting. You can choose from <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/">buttercream frosting</a>, boiled frosting, or cream cheese frosting. For this purpose I'll go with buttercream. Frost your cupcakes so that they have a flat top. I usually use two marshmallows for the snowman but if you want to use three, that will work two. I place one in the center of my cupcake. Thank I dab some frosting on it. Then I cut off about a quarter of the second marshmallow and place the 3/4 piece ontop of the first. I dab some frosting on the top and place a small peanut butter cup. If it's too big, cut it in half! For the snowman's scarf, take a fruit rollup and cut a thin strip. It should be about four or five inches long. Wrap it around the snowmans neck and secure one end over the other with some frosting. Now wet a toothpick and stick your snowman three times for buttons and twice for eyes and a few more times for a smile. That is where you will put the sprinkles. For the nose simply cut off the end of a gummy fish. Last, sprinkle some sugar over it, or coconut flakes, for a fresh snow look. These Christmas cupcakes are sure to be a hit with everyone!<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas Cupcakes</span> - Christmas Trees!<br />This decorating idea is a little more complicated than the first one but the end result is really wonderful and you can play around with these Christmas cupcakes making them as festive as you want.<br />What you need: Cupcakes, Waffle cones, White frosting, small candies, pastry bag with a star tip.<br />For this recipe I would go with vanilla cupcakes or <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-cupcakes.html">chocolate cupcakes</a>, but any cupcake will do. I prefer chocolate. Bake your cupcakes and wait for them to cool. For the frosting you can either keep it white or put some green food dye in it. I would keep it white, but to each his own. When the cupcakes have cooled, put a flat layer of frosting on top of each cupcake. I like <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-cheese-frosting.html">cream cheese frosting</a> for these. Now take a waffle cone and place it upside down on top of the cupcake. Fill your pastry bag with frosting squeeze out small stars all around the cone. It gives the appearence of a snow covered Christmas tree! If you want you can leave it as so. Or you can go ahead and decorate your tree however you like.<br /><br />That's all I have for now, but I promise in the next two weeks I'll be right back here with two more cupcake decorating ideas for your <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas Cupcakes</span>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-3833338150739554746Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:01:00 +00002010-02-03T00:33:49.949-08:00cupcakesfrostingholiday cupcakesholiday decorating ideasHalloween Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2997147154_9ba4ce2e67.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 218px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2997147154_9ba4ce2e67.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">image courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/2997147154/">clevercupcakes</a></span><br /><br />Hi everyone! I'm back after taking a long vacation with new recipes and ideas and decorating!<br />Before I get started on Halloween Cupcakes, I've gotten a lot of emails requesting cupcake recipes. I'm thrilled that everyone loves cupcakes so much, though about 50% of the recipes requested by email I already have posted on this site. So if I don't respond to your email, it's only because the recipe is already posted here!<br /><br />Enough of that, let's talk Halloween! Halloween is probably one of my top three favorite holidays since I was a child. As a youngster, I loved dressing up and trick or treating. As a young adult I enjoyed dressing up and dancing, and as an adult I so much enjoy dressing up, giving out treats, and baking for the holiday. One of my favorite Halloween treats are <span style="font-weight: bold;">Halloween cupcakes</span>. They're so delicious and you can have unlimited fun decorating them.<br /><br />A great base for your Halloween cupcakes is either a vanilla or a deep chocolate base. <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-cupcakes.html">Chocolate cupcakes</a> are good if you want to use white frosting (or orange) (or a swirl!) and vanilla cupcakes are good for a white base with orange and chocolate frosting or good if you want to add some orange food dye for an orange base. Either way, I would say keep your base simple because you're going to go crazy decorating Halloween cupcakes! If you do want to be more adventurous though, a great alternative is pumpkin cupcakes. They're very festive and perfect for the season.<br /><br />You can find recipes on this site for all of your cupcake recipe needs and frosting recipe needs. Just look at the links on the right under labels!<br /><br />Now lets get to the point: Halloween cupcake ideas. Before I start, most Halloween cupcakes will have a flat frosting, meaning no fancy swirls or peaks.<br /><br />1. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Pumpkin</span> face decoration: This is by far my favorite Halloween cupcakes decoration. It's traditional and works <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">every time</span>. For this you will need to use vanilla frosting or pumpkin frosting. If you're using vanilla you need to use food dye to make an orange frosting, this can be accomplished by combining red and yellow. Lay a flat layer of the frosting on your Halloween cupcakes. Now you'll need a pastry bag with a small tip and fill it with chocolate frosting. Use the chocolate frosting to make the pumpkin face. Triangles for eyes and a toothy grin should do the trick!<br /><br />2. Ghost cupcakes: These are fun and easy to decorate! These Halloween cupcakes are simple. I would use a chocolate cupcake for your base, or a orange vanilla or pumpkin base. Simply place a white, flat layer of frosting on the cupcake. Then take a marshmallow and place it on top of the frosting. You can frost the marshmallow for a more textured and ghost shaped <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Halloween</span> cupcake or you can leave it bare. Now you'll need candy coated sesame seeds, or something similar and place it on the ghosts for the eyes! Viola! Perfect ghost cupcakes!<br /><br />3. Candy corn cupcakes: These, too, are great Halloween cupcakes. They're easy to make and fun to eat. (They don't actually have candy corn in them). You will need chocolate cupcakes for this, and vanilla icing in white, yellow, and orange. You will also need a flat icing spatula for this one. First with your spatula plop down the white icing in the center of the cupcake. Pat it down in the center to push the edges out a little. Wipe off your spatula. Then take a smaller plop of orange frosting and plop it in the center of the white frosting. Pat it down in the center to push the edges out, but not quite as far as the white. Repeat this process with the yellow frosting but again with a smaller plop. Now take the spatula and carefully swirl these <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">frosting</span> together into a peak. You will apply slight pressure on the edge of the spatula and start from the outside of the frosting and work your way in and up!<br /><br />4. Graveyard cupcakes: Again, a great treat and a perfect Halloween cupcakes. You will need chocolate frosting, green sprinkles and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">milano</span> cookies cut in half. First put down a flat layer of chocolate frosting onto your cupcakes. Then sprinkle some green sprinkles over it, this is your grass. Take a pastry bag with a small tip and write things on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">milano</span> cookies such as "R.I.P" or put a cross. Now take the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">milano</span> cookie and place it on the cupcakes, pushing it into the Halloween cupcakes slightly so that it will stay upright.<br /><br />This should give <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">you a</span> great start in getting ready for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Halloween</span>!<br />These Halloween cupcakes ideas are sure to impress and you'll have so much fun baking and decorating them. Enjoy your Halloween and come back for more<span style="font-weight: bold;"> cupcake recipes </span>and ideas.http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/09/halloween-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-6369847412559724438Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:59:00 +00002010-02-03T00:36:04.782-08:00chocolatecupcake recipescupcakesflavored cupcakesChocolate Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1122008185_7ca2c3059a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 379px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1122008185_7ca2c3059a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/1122008185/">sifu renka</a></span><br />I've had a lot of requests over the past month for chocolate cupcakes. I don't know what sparked it, but I was a little surprised to realize that I hadn't yet posted my recipe for chocolate cupcakes. These cupcakes are so easy to make and so delicious. These are <span style="font-weight: bold;">chocolate cupcakes</span> for the chocolate lover! When it comes to classic cupcakes, simple is better and that's what I'm doing here. These can be paired with vanilla, <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-cheese-frosting.html">cream cheese frosting</a>, buttercream, or chocolate frosting (but only if you really really like chocolate).<br />Chocolate cupcakes are great for holidays such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, and the fourth of July. They go great with any decoration, such as sprinkles and chocolate cupcakes look amazing with any white icing.<br /><br />My mouth is watering already!<br /><br />Chocolate Cupcakes for the Chocolate Lover<br /><br />Makes about a dozen treats!<br /><br /><br /><br />3/4 Cups unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)<br />3/4 Cups hot water<br />3 Cups all purpose flower<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 heaping tsp baking powder<br />3/4 tsp salt<br />3 sticks unsalted butter<br />2 1/4 cups sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />A generous splash of vanilla extract<br />1 cup sour cream<br /><br />Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Beat together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and powder, and salt until well combined.<br />Melt butter and sugar together in a saucepan over low-medium heat until smooth. Once smooth, transfer to mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add cocoa and mix. Add vanilla and mix well. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture. Don't over mix! Now pour cupcakes into the cupcake tins and pop your chocolate cupcakes in the oven. Bake for around 20 minutes, rotating pan at the halfway mark.<br /><br />You can store your chocolate cupcakes for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to two months but they taste so delicious when they're fresh. Frost them with chocolate, buttercream, or cream cheese frosting for an extra tang! Sometimes I like to top them with just some powdered sugar. These chocolate cupcakes are very rich and frosting might be too much for them. If you want a lighter frosting, go with boiled. This also tops chocolate cupcakes off great, but my favorite is the cream cheese.<br /><br />Adding a little red and yellow food dye to the icing and topping it on these chocolate cupcakes makes for great Halloween cupcakes and with Halloween right around the corner, who can resist? Top with candy corn or orange and chocolate and white sprinkles.<br /><br />Chocolate cupcakes are just another recipe from my collection. The cupcake are delicious, and you will no doubt enjoy eating them just as much (probably more) than making them. This <span style="font-weight: bold;">chocolate cupcake recipe</span> should hold you over till next time. Thanks for reading!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/chocolate-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-1546075955596008276Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:36:00 +00002010-02-03T00:37:59.357-08:00cupcakesfrostingfrosting recipesholiday cupcakesCream Cheese Frosting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/4195279123_bdc790b5c1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 315px; height: 248px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/4195279123_bdc790b5c1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">image courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/4195279123/">elana's pantry</a></span><br />No cupcake is complete without frosting, and one of the most popular frosting is <span style="font-weight: bold;">cream cheese frosting</span>. Cream cheese frosting is versatile and easy to prepare. It's often seen on <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-velvet-cupcake-recipe.html">red velvet cupcakes</a> and carrot cupcakes, and zucchini cupcakes but gives a nice tang to chocolate cupcakes, too!<br />It's soft and creamy which makes it a fun consistency to decorate cupcakes with. It's easy to swoop and swirl around the top of your cupcakes. Basic cream cheese frosting can be altered with flavoring such as vanilla and maple to add some extra pizazz, but alone it holds a lot of character.<br /><br />Here's a great recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting from my own personal collection!<br /><br />8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />12 oz cream cheese<br />3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br /><br /><br /><br />Make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature. In a mixing bowl, mix butter on medium speed until light and creamy. Add cream cheese and mix until fluffy. Slowly add the sugar, one cup at a time. Continue to mix. Finally, add the vanilla extract to the mixture and mix until it has a creamy consistency.<br /><br />You can store this frosting for up to three days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you are ready to use it simply mix it with an electric mixer until it becomes smooth.<br /><br />This should give you excellent frosting to top your cupcakes with! If you want to alter it to make it Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, simply add maple extract instead of vanilla. You can also play around with this cream cheese frosting by adding a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon. This will spice things up and tastes great on pumpkin cupcakes (Halloween!) or on apple spice cupcakes. Cream cheese frosting tastes great with most every cupcake though I wouldn't recommend topping off vanilla cupcakes with this frosting.<br /><br />Though this recipe seems easy, it's still produces a very elegant frosting. The best frosting recipes, in my opinion, are easy to make because frosting shouldn't be too complex. Cream cheese frosting is easy to make, save the complexities for the cupcakes.<br /><br />Other great ideas for your cream cheese frosting is to add some mini chocolate chips to it. Also, I have before experiment with using whipped heavy cream in place of half of the butter and this yields a delicious whipped cream cheese frosting. You can also add some shredded coconut on top of the cream cheese frosting. Finely chopped up mango also adds to this traditional recipe.<br /><br />Since cream cheese frosting has cream cheese in it, make sure you store it in the refrigerator and don't leave it out too long. Also, don't leave it in the sun for too long because it will melt and become very messy. Aside from that, have fun! Experiment and enjoy your cupcakes, whatever they may be.<br /><br />This cream cheese frosting recipe is the last one you will ever need.<br /><br />Good luck and come back soon for more<span style="font-weight: bold;"> cupcake recipes</span> and frosting recipes!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/cream-cheese-frosting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-1730002400696301375Sun, 19 Jul 2009 01:45:00 +00002010-02-03T00:53:21.914-08:00chocolatecupcakesfrostingfrosting recipesHomemade Chocolate Frosting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3823344026_f53bc95007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 177px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/3823344026_f53bc95007.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/phae_/3823344026/">Frances Berriman</a></span><br /><br />Cupcake frosting comes in many different flavors but the staples remain vanilla and chocolate. Vanilla buttercream is probably the king of all frosting, but in a close second is chocolate frosting and there's nothing to wet the palate quite like a big bowl of <span style="font-weight: bold;">homemade chocolate frosting</span>. Chocolate frosting tops off any cupcake and tastes especially good atop <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/vanilla-cupcakes.html">vanilla cupcakes</a>. Decorating chocolate frosting can also be a lot of fun. Generally I use muted and pastel sprinkles with white frosting, but with homemade chocolate frosting I like to use brighter colors: bright blues, yellows, purples, and pinks look especially nice.<br />Here's a great and easy recipe from my personal collection for homemade chocolate frosting.<br /><br />Makes enough for around 30 cupcakes.<br /><br />2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter<br />14 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled<br />2.5 TBSP milk<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />5 cups confectioners sugar<br /><br />Beat butter until smooth. Add chocolate until combined. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar and beat until combined on medium speed. Don't over mix!<br /><br />That recipe should suit your craving for chocolate. It's very rich yet somehow always comes out just right. You can store the homemade chocolate frosting in a sealed container overnight and in a refrigerator for up to a few days. Let it sit until it's room temperature if you're going to store your homemade chocolate frosting in the refrigerator. Sometimes the chocolate frosting will dry out and if that's the case don't be afraid to add some milk and then beat until smooth and creamy. But be careful not to add too much milk, a little milk goes a long way and it's better to have to add more than to add too much.<br /><br />Another thing to be aware of with homemade chocolate frosting is that it creates an outer shell very quickly. Generally when I make cupcakes with vanilla frosting I frost 24 at a time and then decorate with sprinkles or whatever else I might be using. I've found that anymore than 24 at a time and the frosting forms a thin hard shell on the outside and it loses it's stickiness making it more difficult to decorate. Chocolate frosting forms a shell even quicker and will lose it's stickiness soon after frosting the cupcakes. Of course it depends on how long it takes you to frost the cupcakes, but I usually decorate after 6, sometimes after 12 but 6 to be safe. Chocolate frosting forms a shell quicker because it has chocolate in it which is dryer than butter, which is the main ingredient in vanilla buttercream frosting.<br /><br />If you want to add a little pizazz to your homemade chocolate frosting, I will suggest a few ways to go about it. You can always add chocolate chips. I find that mini chocolate chips work better than regular ones. You can also make a chocolate frosting swirl. This is simple, all you do is make two separate batches of frosting - one with darker chocolate and one with lighter. Depending on how you frost your cupcakes, the method of making a frosting swirl will differ. The way I do it is with a flat and long metal spatula. I first tap on one chocolate frosting and then in the center I tap on the other chocolate frosting. I then gently press down with the tip of the spatula and flick my wrist a make a swirl! It definitely takes some practice and getting used to, but once you figure it out you'll be making chocolate frosting swirls before I can say "I love cupcakes!".<br /><br />One last idea for a twist on homemade chocolate frosting before we wrap up. This one is for all you people out there who like chocolate frosting but who also like white frosting (that's me!) Try substituting the chocolate for white chocolate. That way you'll have excellent white chocolate frosting that will pleasantly surprise anyone who takes a bight out of it. You can even make a chocolate frosting and white chocolate frosting swirl.<br /><br />Enjoy your homemade chocolate frosting and come back for more great cupcake recipes!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/homemade-chocolate-frosting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-1529485410427047078Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:20:00 +00002010-02-03T00:48:56.749-08:00frostingfrosting recipesspecial event cupcakesPink Frosting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3280046330_4384106b82.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 242px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3280046330_4384106b82.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jspad/3280046330/">jspad</a></span><br /><br />Lately I have gotten a few requests for a <span style="font-weight: bold;">pink frosting</span> recipe. I'm not really sure what is means by pink frosting, but I'll give it a go and give you a few options for topping your cupcakes with the pinkest frosting on this side of the Ecuador.<br /><br />Pink Frosting Ideas:<br /><br />If you are making regular <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.html">buttercream frosting</a>, turning it into pink frosting is a piece of cake (no pun intended). One of the great things about buttercream frosting is an ability to turn it virtually any color you'd like! So, to make pink frosting just add two drops of red food coloring or red food dye into the frosting after the recipe is completely. Mix it in and viola! If you'd like a deeper pink frosting, add another drop or two, and if you'd like a lighter pink frosting start of with just a drop. Easy as pie.<br /><br />Another option is to add a splash of beet juice to the frosting. This is a great option because red food dye can be hazardous to your health and contains dangerous chemicals. Adding beet juice will also give you pink frosting and I suggest you use this method over the other. You make this pink frosting the same way: by adding a splash of beet juice to the frosting once it is completed. Beet juice can be very strong so be wary.<br /><br />If you want a fruity pink frosting you have many options. Crushed raspberries create an amazing pink color and I've often used them to color frosting. Adding a handful of crushed raspberries will give you a nice pink frosting and give the flavor a little kick! You could also use cherries for pink frosting. Frozen cherries will add a nice color to the frosting, as well. And last but not least you could make your pink frosting using strawberries. Crushed or cut up, they'll definitely give you the color you want. Strawberries don't run as much as raspberries and cherries, so you'll probably have to use more to get the pink frosting you desire. Any of these will work fine, though.<br /><br />Creating pink frosting is easy and you could use food dye to create any color frosting you desire, using the same method. For lighter, more pastel frosting use less and for deeper and richer colors use more. It's really simple and gives your cupcakes the pizazz you might be looking for.<br /><br />Pink frosting is perfect for Valentine's day, bridal showers, baby showers, and birthdays for girls and women alike! No one doesn't like pink frosting and it really does it's job topping off your vanilla cupcakes. I hope your <span style="font-weight: bold;">pink frosting</span> is a hit!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/07/pink-frosting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-8282996674983441167Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:53:00 +00002010-02-03T00:46:54.015-08:00bakewarecupcakesspecial event cupcakesCupcake Cakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3370/3413978949_b384f27df0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 342px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3370/3413978949_b384f27df0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo courtesy: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarbloom_cupcakes/3413978949/in/set-72157607609171165/">Bev (sugarbloom cupcakes)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></a></span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarbloom_cupcakes/3413978949/in/set-72157607609171165/"><br /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Cupcake Cakes</span>: What are they? Where do I get them? How do I make them?<br /><br />Cupcake cakes are probably exactly what you are picturing. It's not a big cake in the shape of a cupcake (yes, that exists too but it isn't what we're talking about). Cupcake cakes are seen most of the times at special events and holidays, namely weddings and sweet sixteens and birthdays. A lot of bakeries also use cupcake cakes to display their cupcakes.<br /><br />So, in case you still don't know, a cupcake cake is simply many things. Cupcakes placed on a cupcake stand in the shape of a cake can be a cupcake cake. Sometimes there will be a small cake on top of the stand, but more often than not cupcake cakes are really just cupcakes. Cupcake cakes are also cupcakes placed down in the shape of something to create a shape, such as a snake, or numbers.<br /><br />If you would like to know how to make cupcake cakes, here are some tips that are sure to help you out. As your base for your cupcake cakes, you should always use a cake board, or some kind of cardboard, wrapped in foil. This will make it easier to move your cupcake cakes, otherwise you'll have cupcakes falling all over the place.<br /><br />Before you begin making your cupcake cakes, it would probably be wise to take a moment and decide what exactly it is you are doing. Map it out. Get a sketch book and sketch! Do the math, take measurements, make sure you have the right tools. While making cupcake cakes isn't brain surgery, it will be a lot easier if you know what you're doing before you do it.<br /><br />My last piece of advice is to leave the cupcakes in the cupcake liners. While this may seem contradictory to the idea of a cake, your cupcake cake will have better presentation if you leave them in the liners. Also, to keep the cupcakes in place, it helps to put a little dollop of frosting beneath each one. It will make your cupcake cakes stable and magnificent!<br /><br />With cupcake cakes, there really is no right and wrong way to go about doing things. Get creative and make it your own. As far as frosting the cupcake cakes go, there are many ways to do that, too. First you must decide whether or not you want your cupcake cakes to look like cupcakes, or to look like a cake. I prefer the cupcakes, but whatever floats your boat! The trick to frosting your cupcake cakes is to treat it how you want it to turn out. If you want each individual cupcake to stand out on its own, then decorate each one separately. But if you want the cupcake cake to appear as though it is one cake, treat it as a whole and don't think about each cupcake separately. Again it would be wise to map out the frosting and decorations for your cupcake cakes, especially if you want them to look more like cakes.<br /><br />You may be wondering what the advantages are to having cupcake cakes over a regular cake. Well, I'll tell you. First of all, cakes are boring. We've seen them before and we want something different! Cupcake cakes are cute and unique and add a nice twist to the celebration. Another advantage of cupcake cakes is portion control. No worrying about cutting pieces of the cake and making sure they're the right size. Cupcakes are a no hassle kind of dessert.<br /><br />So sit back and enjoy your <span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake cakes</span> and come back soon for more recipes and cupcake ideas!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/cupcake-cakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-2413398479080760393Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:11:00 +00002009-10-01T13:39:26.430-07:00cupcake recipescupcakesVanilla Cupcakes<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZEYYQLiI28g/R6EadKhHicI/AAAAAAAAAyw/kY6-Ha8ZVOY/s400/cupcakes+again+010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZEYYQLiI28g/R6EadKhHicI/AAAAAAAAAyw/kY6-Ha8ZVOY/s400/cupcakes+again+010.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: castsugar.blogspot.com<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">If you're looking for a good old cupcake, the kind of cupcake that brings you back to childhood, the kind that just can't go wrong, you're looking for <span style="font-weight: bold;">vanilla cupcakes</span>. These delicious cupcake treats are the most traditional you can get. Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting are extremely loved and can be found in pretty much any cupcake bakery you can imagine.<br />The recipe I am about to give you for vanilla cupcakes is my own personal recipes. I developed it from months of experimentation and studying other cupcake recipes.<br />These vanilla cupcakes are extremely moist and full of rich vanilla flavors. They are just the right amount of sweet and vanilla and I think you'll find these vanilla cupcakes completelly irresistible. The recipes is so easy to follow and will yield between 2 dozen and 30 vanilla cupcakes.<br /><br />Vanilla Cupcakes<br /><br />1 3/4 cups of cake flour<br />1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour<br />1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter<br />2 cups of sugar<br />1 heaping TBSP baking powder<br />4 large eggs<br />1/2 cup whole milk<br />1/2 cup of plain yogurt<br />2 tsp. vanilla extract<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 350 and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.<br />In a bowl mix together cake flour, flour, sugar, and baking powder. Make sure these are combined well. With an electric mixer on medium speed, add butter. It will be easier to cut the butter into small squares at room temperature. Don't just add the whole stick.<br /><br />In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, yogurt and vanilla extract. Add this to the dry vanilla cupcake ingredients and beat until combined but don't over beat!<br /><br />With the vanilla cupcakes batter, fill lined cupcake tins until about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (give or take a few). You will know your vanilla cupcakes are done when you pat on the tops and they spring back up at you. If they sink then the vanilla cupcakes need more time. If this is too confusing, you can always use the old toothpick in the center trick and that should do it.<br /><br />As far as frosting the vanilla cupcakes goes, I would suggest using the <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.html">buttercream frosting </a>recipe. Decorate your vanilla cupcakes with colored sprinkles, sugar candies or fruit.<br /><br />Vanilla cupcakes can be used on any occasion, whether it be your wedding day, a holiday, a birthday, or just for fun! They're great to make with kids and the whole family will really enjoy these treats! If you'd like to make a vanilla cake using the vanilla cupcakes recipe, go right ahead. The recipe works both ways. The vanilla cake will take longer in the oven than the vanilla cupcakes, mind you, so make sure you keep a watchful eye on it if you decide to go that way.<br /><br />If you'd like to color your vanilla cupcakes for a holiday such as Halloween, the fourth of July or Christmas, just add a few drops of coloring to the wet ingredients before you whisk and you'll have colored vanilla cupcakes in a jiffy.<br /><br />The great thing about this recipes is that it's so easy to add to. Vanilla cupcakes taste great with chocolate chips, blueberries, etc. If you want a really great treat, when you're vanilla cupcakes are about halfway done in the oven, say 10 minutes or so, you can cut up peach or plum slices and place one on top of each vanilla cupcake. You can also cut up a peach or plum into small pieces and add it to the batter to transform your vanilla cupcakes into peach cupcakes or plum cupcakes!<br /><br />Experiment! Go Wild! This recipe will fill all of your cupcake needs.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy your <span style="font-weight: bold;">vanilla cupcakes</span>!<br /></div></div>http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/vanilla-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-555959172534377711Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:07:00 +00002010-02-03T00:43:14.273-08:00bakewarecupcakesCupcake Stands<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3577129354_53a5165ed4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 354px; height: 235px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3577129354_53a5165ed4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/slimjim/3577129354/">slimmer jimmer</a></span><br /><br />Cupcake stands are the perfect way to display your cupcakes. Whether you are baking them yourself or buying cupcakes, a cupcake stand is an elegant and fun way to layout your cupcakes.<br />Cupcake stands come in all sizes, so you can use them for a big event like a wedding, or a smaller event like a birthday.<br />For a wedding cupcake stand, it is customary to buy a tiered cupcake stand and have the caterer replace cupcakes as they are taken off and eaten. I'm going to review a few different kinds of cupcake stands so you get an idea of differences, where to buy them, and what's appropriate for which occasion.<br /><br />The most popular brand of cupcake stands is Wilton. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilton cupcake stand</span> comes in many different sizes and styles. The variety that Wilton offers is one of the reasons that their cupcake stands are so popular. The Wilton cupcake stand is also extremely durable. They're very good quality and are sure to last you a long time. A lot of the Wilton cupcake stands are very simple, thus very versatile. You can find an excellent selection of their cupcake stands on amazon, and in stores throughout the US and in Canada.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are a few brands that make cupcake stands made out of Styrofoam. I would strongly urge you not to buy one of these. Not only is styrofoam a flimsy and ugly material that might not hold your cupcakes if they are heavy, it is also extremely unsustainable and bad for mother earth. We can definitely stay away from these cupcake stands. Brands include Bakery Crafts and Deco.<br /><br />If you are not satisfied by a Wilton cupcake stand, I would recommend you try out Pronto, which has a great selection as does NexTag. You can also try out a Good Cook cupcake stand. They are very sturdy and made extremely well to last you a long time. They cost around the same as a Wilton, so it really comes down to a matter of taste. They also make a cupcake stand that will collapse to allow for easy storage and that is extremely handy!<br /><br />Cupcake stands come in a few different materials. Most commonly you will see Glass, plastic, wire, and styrofoam. Occasionally you will find a porcelain or ceramic cupcake stand. The best material for a cupcake stand, in my opinion, is glass. It's so easy to clean cupcake crumbs and dried frosting off of a glass cupcake stand and it's a versatile yet decorative material. Styrofoam comes in last place. A lot of people buy wire cupcake stands and these are very attractive, but I do have a few issues with them. They're not easy to clean and occasionally, if you buy a cheap one, it might start rusting and you wouldn't want a rusty cupcake stand.<br /><br />Most good quality cupcake stands will run you anywere between $15-$70. The price varies depending mostly on the brand and the amount of cupcakes the cupcake stand holds. Anything under $10 is probably not resuable and poor quality so I would suggest going with something that will last. If you have a tiered cake stand and don't want to buy a cupcake stand, you can definitely use a tiered cake stand to display your cupcakes. You can always find the perfect cupcake stand for any occasion, whether it's the 4th of July, your <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/40thbirthdaygiftsformen">40th Birthday</a>, or just for fun.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span>Good luck finding the <span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake stand</span> that is right for you and come back soon for all of your cupcake recipe needs!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/cupcake-stands.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-4034999351308794304Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:04:00 +00002009-10-01T13:41:01.157-07:00frostingfrosting recipesButtercream Frosting<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/150507379_4251867513.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 396px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/150507379_4251867513.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: cupcakequeen @ flickr.com</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />There are a limitless variety of cupcake frosting but the most popular and versatile is <span style="font-weight: bold;">buttercream frosting</span>. This goes excellent with any kind of cupcake, including vanilla cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, and <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-velvet-cupcake-recipe.html">red velvet cupcakes</a>. Buttercream frosting is traditionally made with two main ingredients: butter and powdered sugar. These are mixed together to make a rich, sweet, and creamy frosting.<br /><br />Here is my buttercream frosting recipe, which will be a wonderful frosting to top off your cupcakes with.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vanilla Buttercream Frosting</span><br /><br />Makes enough frosting for about 2 dozen cupcakes<br /><br />1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, room temperature<br /></div></div>6-8 cups of powdered sugar<br />1/2 cup of milk<br />1.5 tsp vanilla extract<br /><br />1. In an electric mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment or if you don't have an electric mixing bowl use a large bowl and an electric mixer, mix the butter until smooth and creamy (a few minutes).<br />2. Add 4 cups of the sugar, the milk and vanilla and on low speed mix until combined.<br />3.Add two more cups of sugar and on low speed mix until light and fluffy. If you need to, add the remaining two cups of powdered sugar.<br /><br />Tips: When mixing together the buttercream frosting ingredients, be aware that powdered sugar is very light and will get into the air. You will know this is happening because when you breathe in you will feel and taste a sweetness in your breath. To avoid this, place a clean dish towel over the mixing bowl.<br /><br />There 'ya go! Buttercream frosting made perfect for your cupcakes.<br /><br />Buttercream frosting comes in a lot of different flavors, the most common is <a href="http://herbalreleaf.com/">vanilla</a>, which I have given you the frosting recipe for. It's also often seen in chocolate buttercream and occasionally in other flavors such as almond or peppermint. To get almond or peppermint buttercream frosting, simply replace the vanilla extract with almond or peppermint extract and alter according to your taste.<br /><br /><br />How to Care for your Buttercream Frosting<br /><br />Buttercream frosting can be left at room temperature without melting. Do not leave your buttercream frosting in the sun. The best way to store it is in an airtight container. If you want to store your buttercream frosting for a few days, you can put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and take it out a few hours before you plan to frost your cupcakes so it will defrost and soften up and make the buttercream frosting more spreadable. You can speed up this process by beating it. After you put your buttercream frosting on your cupcakes, the frosting will harden on the outside, so if you are going to decorate the buttercream frosting with sprinkles or other candies, I would advise you to do so immediately after putting it on your cupcakes. Buttercream frosting will form a hard shell in a matter of minutes (sometimes even quicker).<br /><br />Good luck and come back soon for more <span style="font-weight: bold;">frosting recipes</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake recipes</span>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/06/buttercream-frosting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-2458786725505753485Thu, 21 May 2009 22:14:00 +00002009-06-02T14:02:16.188-07:00cupcakesholiday cupcakesspecial event cupcakes4th of July Cupcakes<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bakingbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fourthcupcake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 303px; height: 350px;" src="http://bakingbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/fourthcupcake.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: bakingbites.com</span><br /></div><br /><br />With summer right around the corner, my favorite holiday is just about to hit. The 4th of July will yield many barbecues and other festivities and none is complete without some special <span style="font-weight: bold;">4th of July cupcakes</span>!<br />Here are some great ideas for 4th of July cupcakes and frosting and decorating.<br /><br />4th of July cupcakes take 1. If you're a naturalist like me, then you hate food dye. This makes baking and decorating 4th of July cupcakes difficult since we all know that you can't have 4th of July cupcakes that don't represent the red, white, and blue. This is why I'm starting off here, because if you can avoid chemically enhanced cupcakes then you should. For these 4th of July cupcakes you can use either a chocolate cupcakes, a vanilla cupcake, or a red velvet cupcake (using beet juice of course!). If you want to make these 4th of July cupcakes with vanilla cupcakes but you want the cake to be red, you can add a little beet juice in place of water. Beet juice is strong so careful!<br />For 4th of July cupcake I like to use vanilla frosting. That will be your white in your red, white and blue. 4th of July cupcakes should be festive, so use a vanilla frosting, cream cheese frosting, or boiled frosting and lather up those cupcakes! Now you may be wondering where your red and blue come in if you're not going to use food dye. Luckily the 4th of July is in the summer and fruit and summer go hand in hand. Decorate your 4th of July cupcakes with blueberries and raspberries. Or decorate your 4th of July cupcakes with strawberries instead of raspberries. Voila! If you want red icing, use beets! You will have marvelous natural 4th of July cupcakes that everyone will enjoy. A nice way to decorate is to make a swirl or circle of blueberries and stick a strawberry with the top cut off faced down on the top of your 4th of July cupcakes. What would really make an amazing 4th of July cupcake would be <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://decadentchocolatecoveredstrawberries.com/chocolate-dipped-strawberries-personalized">chocolate covered strawberries</a>.<br />Enjoy!<br /><br />4th of July cupcakes take2: Now that we've covered our natural 4th of July cupcakes, lets get down to the nitty gritty. The simple truth is, if you want blue 4th of July cupcakes, use a yellow cake and blue food dye, you want red, use a red food dye. Plain and simple. The same goes for the icing that you'll be covering your 4th of July cupcakes in. I like to keep things simple with a yellow or white 4th of July cupcakes topped with white frosting or chocolate frosting and then red, white, and blue sprinkles. If you're feeling really festive, your 4th of July cupcakes can adorn an American flag make out of sprinkles. You can also create different color frosting to top your 4th of July cupcakes and do a swirl or a patter atop your 4th of July cupcakes. They'll look really cute. Experiment! 4th of July cupcakes should be crazy and explosive, not safe and refined.<br /><br />No matter how you decorate your 4th of July cupcakes, I assure you people will love them. 4th of July cupcakes will make your holiday extra special.<br /><br />Come back soon for more <span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake recipes</span>!<br /><br />Love,<br />The Cupcake Galhttp://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/4th-of-july-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-6797096917385913107Thu, 14 May 2009 21:05:00 +00002010-02-03T00:41:00.058-08:00cupcakesspecial event cupcakesWedding Cupcakes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/3828729086_f5e7668103.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 252px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3530/3828729086_f5e7668103.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/3828729086/">clevercupcakes</a></span><br /><br />Cupcakes are the perfect treat for every occasion. Whether it's an annual holiday or a special occasion, cupcakes are sure to leave a tasty impression. Cupcakes are a very popular birthday treat, and they are becoming increasingly popular for weddings. Wedding cupcakes are the new "it" wedding treat. It seems like everyone has them at their weddings these day, from celebrities to friends to family. There are many different kinds of cupcakes that people have had at their weddings. Usually what makes them "<span style="font-weight: bold;">wedding cupcakes</span>" is the way that the cupcakes are decorated from the frosting, to the cupcakes liners, to the sprinkles.<br /><br />If you're <a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.premierwedding.co.nz/">planning a wedding</a>, the key to having amazing wedding cupcakes is white or pastels. Simple and elegant always takes the cake, no pun intended. Red velvet wedding cupcakes have become really popular wedding cupcakes because the red of the cupcake on the bottom with hot white frosting looks really festive and elegant. There are many different cupcake recipes that are used in wedding cupcakes and none is right nor wrong.<br /><br />I think the best way to be decorating cupcakes for your wedding is to keep it simple. Try doing half of the wedding cupcakes in white buttercream frosting and the other half in a subtle pink frosting or a lavender frosting. Both of these colors will look charming atop either vanilla wedding cupcakes or chocolate wedding cupcakes, or any other variety of wedding cupcakes you may have.<br />As far as sprinkles go, wedding cupcakes look nice with white or any subtle color sprinkles. If you use bold colors on your cupcakes they might look like they belong at a child's birthday party. If your wedding is color coordinated, just use the colors that go with your decorations. The cupcakes will fit right in. Also, pearl white sprinkles look so nice on wedding cupcakes. They really give the cupcakes an amazing feel.<br /><br />An advantage to using cupcakes instead of cake is that you can have a few different kinds. And if you want it to be tiered like a wedding cake is, just buy a display that has tiers and it will make your wedding cupcakes fit right into the feel of your special day. If you're making them yourself you can find recipes on the internet.<br />Martha Stewart has amazing wedding cupcake recipes and if you're looking I would highly recommend her website for cupcake recipes. She also has ones that are specifically for wedding cupcakes so that really is your one stop. And in addition she'll give you tips on decorating and presentation.<br /><br />So good luck with your <span style="font-weight: bold;">wedding cupcakes</span> and I'll see you soon for more great cupcake recipes and cupcake ideas!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/wedding-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-2522389339337758528Tue, 05 May 2009 03:51:00 +00002009-06-02T13:59:49.132-07:00bakewarecupcakesCupcake LinersI recently discovered cupcake liners are now coming in reusable silicone. I know this is good for the environment and all, but there's something about the good old fashioned paper cupcake liners that I really love. I remember as a kid peeling the cupcake liners off the cupcakes and scraping down their sides, making sure I ingest every cupcake crumb, no survivors.<br />And paper cupcake liners can be recycled!<br />Another great thing about disposable cupcake liners is that you can buy them themed. They come in all different varieties, there are Christmas cupcake liners and Hanukkah ones, there are Halloween liners and birthday cupcake liners. Plus I like the way they form to the cupcake. They become the cupcake.<br /><br />I know this may sound silly, but eating cupcakes is an experience and is not to be taken lightly. It actually makes people happy, and I think part of it is peeling away those cupcake liners. You can get them in pink, blue and yellow and white. I'm not talking about the foil cupcake liners, I'm talking about the the paper ones!<br /><br />I'm pretty sure whole foods even sells them made from recycled paper. All I'm saying is this: <a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://gourmetkitchenbistro.com/">new kitchen gadgets</a> are good. But cupcake liners are just too traditional. You can't replace them. I just love seeing a table full of used cupcake liners and happy, smiling people.<br /><br />I know in the midst of the earth's current situation maybe I'm being a little bit too nostalgic about my baked goods, but I'm speaking from the heart. I love cupcake liners and I'm not afraid to admit it. The cupcake papers that make my mouth water and my feet tingle. Yes, I have a crazy physical reaction to all things having to do with baked goods. I just found out about the silicone liners and I was taken aback and here I am venting about my love for paper cupcake liners. Maybe I'm over reacting (probably) but I really do love 'em. Three cheers for cupcake liners.<br /><br />What are your thoughts on the whole <span style="font-weight: bold;">cupcake liners</span> situation?http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/cupcake-liners.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-442706945751430453Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:32:00 +00002009-06-01T17:20:36.510-07:00cupcakesCupcake Decorating<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/tv/martha_stewart_show/show_photos/1151_2000/1163_recipe_cupcake_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 281px;" src="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/tv/martha_stewart_show/show_photos/1151_2000/1163_recipe_cupcake_l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> photo credit: www.marthastewart.com </span><br /><br />Decorating cupcakes is just as important as baking the cupcakes. Studies prove that the way food looks effects how people perceive the taste and the entire experience all together, so decorating cupcakes should be a priority. Depending on the occasion you're baking for, your cupcakes should be decorated differently. Holidays are fun because you get to choose a them and decorate cupcakes based on that theme. For example, Halloween calls for orange and chocolate frostings, orange black and white sprinkles, and a spooky theme. Or if your cupcakes are for July 4th, you could decorate them in red, whites and blues and have a patriotic theme.<br /><br />Decorating for special occasions, like a wedding or baby shower will usually call for more subtle and pretty colors and cupcake decorations. You should use white, pink, and lavender or baby blue and lots of white and pink sprinkles. The keyword here is pastels!<br /><br />If your cupcakes are just for fun or a birthday, don't be afraid to go a little crazy. Use a lot of different colors of frosting, icing, sprinkles and much more. The crazier they are, the more people will love them so don't be afraid to over decorate your cupcakes.<br /><br />The main tools needed for decorating cupcakes are firstly a tool for frosting your cupcakes. For this you can use either a pastry bag with assorted tips, or my personal favorite, a long, flat narrow spatula. Now for decorating cupcakes you will need sprinkles, sparkles, sugar treats, candies, etc. You could pretty much use anything your heart desires. Take a trip to your local baking supplies store and go to the decorating cupcakes aisle. You could even pick out some fun cupcake wrappers.<br /><br />I'll be talking in the future about specific cupcake decorating ideas, but for now I just want you to remember that in this case, looks are important. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Decorating cupcakes</span> matters!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/cupcake-recipes-decorating-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-5191818199549220430Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:48:00 +00002009-10-01T13:39:18.727-07:00cupcake recipescupcakesflavored cupcakesBanana Cupcakes<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/132324775_b970b71aee.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 349px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/132324775_b970b71aee.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/132324775<br /><br /></span></div>Banana Cupcakes are delicious. Though not the most traditional cupcake, the banana cupcake is one of my favorites and a definite crowd please. It's easy to use a <a href="http://www.banana-bread-recipe.com/">banana bread recipe</a> to make your banana cupcakes but I warn you they'll turn out more like muffins. Muffins are bread-ier than banana cupcakes should be. A good banana cupcake should be light and fluffy.<br /><br />Many people enjoy their banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and I agree. But if you don't like cream cheese frosting, enjoy your banana cupcakes with regular buttercream, or boiled frosting. They even taste good with chocolate frosting! If you add a splash of honey to a frosting they taste amazing.<br /><br />As for the best banana cupcake recipe I could find. Well I searched high and low for a moist and delicious, light and fluffy banana cupcake recipe and I found the banana cupcakes of your dreams right <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/desserts_E0308WELD_T?autonomy_kw=banana%20cupcakes&amp;rsc=header_2">here</a>. These are made with an excellent honey- cinnamon frosting. A real treat!<br /><br />Or if you have a good banana cake recipe, I would suggest you even use that! Banana cupcakes and banana cake are exactly the same, (just the banana cupcakes are a bit smaller!). Banana cupcakes look great next to red velvet cupcakes. A sure crowd pleaser is red velvet cupcakes with boiled frosting and banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. It's something for everyone and no one will walk away unhappy.<br /><br />Enjoy your <span style="font-weight: bold;">banana cupcakes</span>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/banana-cupcakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-9007334792580659561Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:10:00 +00002009-10-01T13:40:00.523-07:00frostingfrosting recipesBoiled FrostingBoiled Frosting<br /><br />Here is my recipe for boiled frosting. You might be wondering - what is boiled frosting? Well, I'll tell you then. Boiled frosting, aside from being my favorite kind of frosting, is a delicate and subtle delicious frosting, generally with a little vanilla flavoring. Boiled vanilla frosting is most commonly used on red velvet cakes and red velvet cupcakes, though it tastes great on all kinds of cupcakes!<br /><br />It's called boiled frosting because part of the process of making it calls for you to boil some of the ingredients - hence we get "boiled frosting". It's really delicious and is a great alternative for when you get bored of buttercream frosting, or other really heavy frosting. Boiled frosting wins in my book!<br /><br />It's easy to make and I'll tell you how to do it:<br /><br />1 1/2 Cups sugar divided leaving 2 TBSP aside<br />3/4 Cup of cold water<br />1 TBSP of corn syrup<br />2 egg whites<br />1/8 tsp salt<br />a splash of vanilla extract<br /><br />Combine sugar (all but 2 TBSP), water, and corn syrup into a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Stir while cooking over medium heat until your sugar is dissolved. At this point it should look clear. Continue to let it cook until it becomes syrupy. Make sure you don't burn it or your boiled frosting won't turn out so keep an eye on it.<br />While it's cooking beat your egg whites till the form stiff peeks. Add the remaining sugar and beat. Add syrup while mixing until thoroughly blended. Add vanilla and continue to mix until it begins to form small peaks.<br /><br />Viola! You have just made yourself some boiled frosting. Let it cool if it's too hot before frosting your cupcakes. Boiled frosting tends to melt if you leave it in the sun (you shouldn't be leaving your cupcakes in the sun anyway) but make sure you don't leave a bowl of boiled frosting in the sun because it will get ruined.<br /><br />If you don't like boiled frosting, cream cheese frosting is also used on red velvet cupcakes. Use whichever you prefer! I prefer boiled frosting, but I know a lot of people who don't like it as much.<br /><br />Good luck with your <span style="font-weight: bold;">boiled frosting</span>!http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/boiled-frosting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4771292389623359877.post-130294319584565590Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:35:00 +00002010-02-03T00:20:57.610-08:00chocolatecupcake recipescupcakesRed Velvet Cupcake Recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3590871289_cf4bc652d7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 399px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3590871289_cf4bc652d7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmyboop/3590871289/">emmyboop</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I think </span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">by far one of the most popular cupcakes are <span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Velvet Cupcakes</span>.<br /><br />Red Velvet Cupcakes are by far my favorite kind of cupcake. And I will share with you the best recipe I know of.<br /><br />First some background. What are "red velvet" cupc</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">akes?<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Red Velvet Cupcakes are rich chocolate cupcakes. They are called red velvet due to their distinctive rich red color. Originally, cocoa used to be a lighter shade and what gave red velvet cupcakes their unique color was a chemical reaction of unprocessed cocoa with the acid in the buttermilk. You can still buy this type of cocoa, however now more often then not it is red food coloring that makes the cupcakes red. I prefer to use the lighter cocoa for my red velvet cupc</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">akes</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> because food coloring is bad for you and the less chemicals we put in our bodies, the better. One thing's for sure, if your serious about baking you should know a little bit about <a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://mentalhealthandfood.blogspot.com/">health and food</a>.<br /><br />Red velvet cupcakes traditionally come wit</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">h boiled frosting which happens to be my favorite kind of frosting. However, nowadays red velvet cupcake recipe usually calls for cream cheese frosting.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The red velvet cupcake recipe I am going to give</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> you will allow you the opportunity to add either cream cheese, boiled frosting, or any other white frosting you desire. With this red velvet cupcake recipe, any white frosting will do.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><br />2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder<br />2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles) or 4 oz beet juice (if you use unprocessed light cocoa you can leave out the food dyes and you'll get a warm red/brown color)<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />2 eggs, at room temperature<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature<br />1 teaspoon white vinegar<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br /><br /><p>1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins or silicone pans with <a href="http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/cupcake-liners.html">cupcake liners</a>.</p> <p>2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps and set aside.</p> <p>3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.</p> <p>4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful as it will fizz so don't do it in a shallow bowl. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Fill cupcake cups with cake batter until they are a little under 3/4 full. I ended up with 20 cupcakes. Place muffin tins in your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20, rotating pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when you are able to pat the tops and the cake springs back up. If it sinks down they are not yet complete. Or you can insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the center of the tin and if it comes out clean they are done!<br /></p> <p>5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.</p><p>6. Enjoy!<br /></p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The reason why I love red velvet cupcakes so much is because of their rich and deep flavor. They aren't too sweet and they taste the way they look - like red velvet cupcakes!<br /><br />There are many red velvet cupcake recipes floating around, but the one that I gave to you should really be excellent. It's the cream of the red velvet cupcake recipe crop! I promise as long as you follow the directions properly, and remember what I have taught you, your red velvet cupcakes should come out exactly as you imagine.<br /><br />You could decorate them with little pink and whit hearts, sprinkles, or anything else your hearth desires.<br /><br />Good luck with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">red velvet cupcake recipe</span>!<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I hope your <span style="font-weight: bold;">red velvet cupcakes </span>come out perfect!<br /><br /><br /></span></span>http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-velvet-cupcake-recipe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Cupcake Gal)108